My breakout session at The Guardian technology and media-focussed conference held each year in London. This Snapchat Masterclass covers content planning, creation and promotion for brands on the popular messaging app.

1. Snapchat
Masterclass
with Will Francis
Wed 15th March 2017
The Guardian Changing Media Summit
#GdnCMS

2. Introduction
@willfrancis

3. #GdnCMS
What Is
Snapchat?

4. Source: Snapchat promotional video

5. Stats
10 billion videos
watched every day
More than a
third of DAUs
play with lenses
every day
Over 60% of
Snap Ads watched
with audio on
2.5 billion Snaps
created daily
158 million
people use
Snapchat daily
DAUs use
Snapchat over 18
times a day
Source: Snapchat

6. #GdnCMS
And Snap Inc.?

7. In their own words…
“Snap Inc. is a camera company. We believe that reinventing
the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve
the way people live and communicate. Our products
empower people to express themselves, live in the moment,
learn about the world, and have fun together.”
Source: Snapchat Communications Team

8. Spectacles
Source: Snapchat Spectacles
Now available to buy online or in-store,
Spectacles are the physical product driving
Snapchat’s promise to reinvent the camera.
• shoots circular, 10-second video snaps
• packaged in affordable, fashionable
sunglasses in an attempt to be a truly
accessible wearable camera
• optional accessories include charging
case and cable

9. Snap Inc.
Source: Variety and Snapchat
Based in
Venice, CA with
international
office in London
Focussed on
‘reinventing the
camera’
$5 billion in
shares changed
hands on day
one
Stock price
currently $21
(15/3/17)
IPO on 1st
March, opening at
$17 per share
Snap Inc posted
$515 million loss
last year

10. Snapchat’s Competition
Facebook Instagram WhatsApp Snow
📱 …and anyone else vying for your attention on mobile 📱

11. Instagram: The Biggest Threat
Instagram

12. The Effect of Instagram Stories
Source: Techcrunch

13. Snapchat Still Strong for Teens
Source: Snaplytics

14. #GdnCMS
Brand
Behaviour on
Snapchat

15. Adoption is still relatively
low, meaning Snapchat
usage can still be a
differentiator in your
sector.
Source: L2 and AdWeek

16. Brands who post to
Snapchat do so a lot more
regularly than those on
Instagram.
Source: L2 and AdWeek

17. Consistency is lower on
Snapchat, as content
publishing tends to
happen in bursts.
Source: L2 and AdWeek

18. Marketers far prefer video
content on Snapchat,
compared to Instagram.
Source: L2 and AdWeek

19. Brands are still figuring
out what works for them,
and themes are varied.
Source: L2 and AdWeek

20. #GdnCMS
Building Engaged
Communities

21. Content
Source: MTV on Snapchat

22. Source: Mashable on Snapchat

23. Source: Birchbox on Snapchat

24. Promoting Your Channel
• get the snapcode everywhere - on merchandise,
product, business cards, social media and marketing
• around 25% of new followers add with a snapcode,
on average, this figure is growing QoQ
• as with all social follow calls-to-action, give a
compelling reason to add - exclusives, candid, fun,
offers, discounts et al
Source: Snaplytics

25. Seeding Snapchat Content
• re-purpose your unique Snapchat
content for platforms such as YouTube,
Instagram, Giphy, Twitter and Facebook
• helps to promote your Snapchat account
• offers a preview of what people can
expect if they add you, compelling them
to do so

26. Publishing Behaviour
• on average, brands post less content per
month, but do so sporadically
• post in bursts of quality snap series -
average for brands is 11 snaps
• if you’re not a daily brand have a strong
reason for those bursts, be it a weekly
regular e.g. what we’re baking this
Sunday, or linked to your key product/
campaign moments
Source: Snaplytics

27. Timing
• most brands post stories twice per week
• activity ramps through the week to
Saturday
• Sunday and Monday are the least active
days, likely due to staff being unable to
schedule content
• these days, particularly Sunday should be
an opportunity for your activity
Source: Snaplytics

28. Measurement: Benchmarks
• average open rate for brands = 55%
• average completion rate (all snaps in
story seen) = 88%
• average proportion of video snaps = 61%
• average snaps in a story = 11
• 50% of stories contain 6 snaps or less
Source: Snaplytics

29. Measurement: Tools
• third-party tools such as Snaplytics offer
overview data to measure effectiveness of
your content and campaigns
• metrics include opens, screenshots,
completions, followers, growth, source
• benchmark performance within your industry
or across Snapchat
Source: Snaplytics

31. Case Study: Zoella
• we worked with Penguin Random House to
promote her ‘Girl Online’ books
• started and grew a Snapchat community
dedicated to the books
• content bursts leading up to publication
dates
• first campaign culminated in first ever
Snapchat book signing

32. Case Study: Zoella

33. Case Study: Zoella

34. Case Study: Zoella

35. Case Study: Zoella

36. Case Study: Zoella
• 42k followers, most from
the initial campaign
• 97% of stories opened
were seen in full
• 82% of stories opened
Source: Snaplytics

37. #GdnCMS
Ad Products

38. Geofilters
Anyone can add a geofilter for their event, home or business:
• create a design on the website or upload your own
(Photoshop and Illustrator templates are provided)
• draw the area on a map and select to/from times and dates
• enter payment details and submit for approval
• one day costs 4p per 100 square feet
• one year costs £2.10p per 100 square feet

39. Snap Ads
Snapchat’s answer to display media largely resembles
TV advertising in that it comes in the form of
interstitial content between the content a user
chooses to watch.
• up to 10-second vertical full screen video ad
• can also come with attachments i.e. swiping up
reveals the full content
• attachments can be long form video, article, app
install ad or mobile website

40. Sponsored Lenses
Snapchat’s most engaged with feature is their Lenses.
Sponsored ones appear first in the list and offer
immersive brand experiences primed for sharing.
• created by Snapchat’s 3D designers and animators
• interactive selfie overlays which respond to actions
such as raising eyebrows, opening mouth and
looking around

41. Snapchat API
Brands no longer need to buy media directly through Snapchat, as they have recently opened
their API to ad buying, measurement and content delivery platforms.
• programmatic buying via platforms such as Videology, Kinetic, Adglow and more
• Snapchat Lifestyle Categories allows targeting via age, gender, location, device and content
consumption history
• Snap Audience Match - similar to Custom and Lookalike Audiences on Facebook - uses email
addresses and mobile device IDs to match users in your existing database or similar ones
• measurement via partners including DoubleClick, Sizmek, Nielsen, Datalogix, Adjust and
Kochava

42. #GdnCMS
Examples

43. Sainsbury’s: Christmas
• extension of wider festive campaign ‘The Greatest Gift’
• song, especially written for the ad, could be sung via the first
karaoke lens
• live for 24 hours on 2 December
• users could turn themsleves into Dave, the Dad from the ads
Source: The Drum

44. Ed Sheeran Teaser
• first ever global lens, promoting Ed Sheeran’s hotly anticipated
new album ‘Divide’
• 30-second clip of a new song ‘hidden’ as the audio in the lens
• available for 24 hours on 6th January 2017
Source: Snapchat

45. Nationwide: A Levels Results Day
• Sponsored geofilter and lens to celebrate
A-level results day, promoting student
accounts - FlexStudent
• Available for one day only, just in the UK
• 2.6m unique lens users (25% of daily
active audience)
• 5.5m plays of content - 1.7x average for a
weekday (3.2m)
• Designed and created by VCCP Kin
Source: VCCP Kin

46. Sony: 360° Video
• allowed Snapchatters to rotate 360° and move forward in the
immersive video teaser for a horror film
• people spent an average of 2 minutes with the ad, seen as a
success by Sony Pictures
Source: Marketing Week

47. Will Francis | @willfrancis | 👻 willfrancis24
Creative Strategy Director
020 7427 6094
will@vandallondon.com
Thanks!